BARCELONA have been fined € 32,000 by UEFA for the racist behaviour of their fans at the Parc des Princes in Paris when the Spanish champions played Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League. Barca’s fans used Nazi salutes and made monkey chant noises at the PSG team. They also caused significant damage at the stadium and used pyrotechnics. Further to the fine, Barca are also banned from selling away tickets to their fans for the next UEFA game they play. The club also have to pay for the damage caused to the Parc des Princes.
The National League programme has finished and Boreham Wood have been relegated along with Kidderminster Harriers, Dorking Wanderers and Oxford City. Boreham Wood’s relegation was confirmed in a 0-0 draw with Ebbsfleet and was manager Luke Garrard’s last game in charge as he will leave the club in the close season. Gateshead, who were due to meet Solihull Moors in the promotion play-offs, are not able to play the qualifying game as they have failed to receive the required 10-year security of tenure required by the Football League. Solihull will now play Barnet in the semi-finals, while Bromley will meet the winners of Altrincham versus Halifax.
Chelsea’s women took a step towards reaching the UEFA Champions League final when they won 1-0 at holders’ Barcelona in the first leg of the semi-final. Erin Cuthbert scored the winning goal after 40 minutes. The victory is being called the greatest Chelsea performance of the Emma Hayes era at the club. Meanwhile, the other semi-final saw a dramatic comeback by Lyon against Paris Saint-Germain. PSG led 2-0 thanks to a brace from Marie-Antoinette Katoto (40, 48) but three goals in seven minutes gave Lyon an unlikely win. The winning goal came from Amel Majri in the 86th minute. The second legs are on April 27 and 28.
Ferencváros have clinched the Hungarian league title with a 0-0 draw at home to struggling Kisvárda. It is their 35th title and sixth consecutive success. Fradi are currently 15 points clear of second-placed Fehérvar and still have five games to play. Manager Dejan Stanković’s side have lost four games in the league and have netted 71 goals and conceded 26. They are on a 13-game unbeaten run. Fradi have the leading scorer in the league in Barnabás Varga, who was signed from Paks June 2023 and has netted 19 goals. The 2023-24 season has seen crowds in Hungary rise by 12% to an average of almost 4,000. Fradi are the best supported with 10,000-plus at their Groupama Arena. It could be a double for the champions, too – they face Nyíregytháza in the semi-finals on April. The club also enjoyed a decent European run, reaching the knockout phase of the Conference League, narrowly losing to Olympiakos.
Leighton James, one of the best wingers of the mid-1970s, has died aged 71. James began his career at Burnley, making his debut in 1970. His performances as a tricky and speedy flankman soon attracted other club and he was signed by Derby County for £ 300,000 in 1975 and later played for QPR, Sunderland, Swansea, Bury and Newport County. He had three spells with Burnley, the last ending in 1989. James won 54 caps for Wales, scoring 10 goals. He also had a long career as a non-league manager.
GAME OF THE PEOPLE 